Photo via ESPN Cricinfo

Protesters mistake Pakistan's U-19 team for asylum seekers in Portsmouth

September 10, 2026 · ESPN Cricinfo

Tensions flared in Portsmouth when an angry group assembled in front of a Marriott hotel following the arrival of Pakistan's Under-19 cricket squad. The unrest began after word spread that roughly forty non-English men had checked into the premises, prompting demonstrators to mistake the touring youth players for asylum seekers.